The top-seeded BGSU Falcons women’s basketball team got by an upset-minded eight seed in Eastern Michigan in the MAC women’s basketball tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday morning, winning 63-47. Here are three takeaways from the contest. 

Free throws were the difference

The Falcons got out to an unconventional slow start against EMU, as they trailed 18-13 after one quarter and 31-21 at half as Eastern Michigan shot the ball really well. BGSU managed to keep their turnovers down, but could not make shots, as they struggled in every shooting statistic. 

The Falcons did not shoot well from anywhere but the free throw line, but it proved to be all the difference as they made 23 of 29 free throws while EMU shot just nine, making five of them.

Defense continued to be elite

The first half proved to be an outlier, as the Falcons came out in the second half on fire, using their usually-smothering defense to propel them. The Falcons had 13 steals in the contest, with Kenzie Lewis and Nyla Hampton each getting four apiece and both were huge for the Falcons in the third quarter as they outscored the Eagles 20-6 to claim a lead that they never surrendered. The Falcons kept the swarming defense up in the fourth quarter, as they outscored EMU 22-10. The Falcons ran rampant on the defensive end, as they forced 23 Eagle turnovers while turning it over just eight times themselves.

Others stepped up in Lexi Fleming’s absence. 

Bowling Green’s leading scorer in Lexi Fleming went out early in the third quarter, and up to that point she had scored just four points. But others stepped up as Lewis had perhaps her best college game to pick up some of the slack. She scored 14 points, including 8 of 10 from the line and adding 11 rebounds. Kaide Hempfling had 15 points and Elissa Brett 13 as those were the only Falcons in double figures.